Mamata Banerjee escalates fight with Centre; moves SC over MHA's summons to 3 IPS officers

Escalating the fight with the Centre, the Mamata Banerjee government has moved the Supreme Court on Friday over the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)'s summons to three IPS officers belonging to the state cadre, on central deputation. The MHA had summoned the three officers  - Rajeev Mishra (ADG, South Bengal); Bhola Nath Pandey (SP, Diamond Harbour) and Praveen Kumar Tripathi (DIG, Presidency Range) over lapses in security arrangement to BJP chief J P Nadda during his visit to Bengal. The home ministry has already issued transfer letters to the three officers, asking them to join their Central postings at the earliest.

MHA calls WB's Chief Secy and DGP to Delhi again; Mamata's top officials seek virtual meet

MHA summons state secy & DGP

 On Thursday, MHA again summoned Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and DGP Virendra to come to Delhi for a meeting on Bengal's law and order situation. The officers responded seeking a virtual meeting rather than in-person presence, after previously refusing to answer the summons. The ruling Trinamool government has maintained that 'Under Article 312 of Constitution, the  Centre may ask for names of officers to be sent on deputation, then it is upto the state to release them or not'.  The West Bengal Chief Minister has hit out at the Centre, going so far as to call it 'expansionist' and has stated that her government will not cow down.

CRPF writes to WB Police ahead of Shah's visit; highlights lapses during attack on Nadda

Nadda's convoy attacked

On December 10, stones were hurled at BJP national president J P Nadda's convoy when it was on its way to Diamond Harbour area in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district from Kolkata.  BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya's car's windows were also completely shattered in the commotion, as per visuals. Taking to Twitter, Vijayvargiya said that Bengal Police was already informed about JP Nadda's visit but still they failed in providing him security. According to PTI sources,  vehicles of media personnel, too, were not spared. The police later intervened and ensured the passage of the convoy.

Nadda retorts to Mamata Banerjee's 'CRPF jibe'; says 'They don't provide road security'

Previously, BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh said that there has been a security lapse during party president JP Nadda's visit to the state. He alleged that there was no presence of police at his events on Wednesday. Detailing on the incident, the West Bengal Police has stated that a few bystanders at Debipur, Falta PS, and Diamond Harbour PD 'sporadically & suddenly' pelted stones at the vehicles trailing the BJP chief's convoy. A probe has been ordered into it, with the MHA demanding a report on it from the state police. The CRPF has also written to the West Bengal Police, seeking the state's cooperation during Home Minister Amit Shah's visit.

MHA calls 3 WB IPS officers on central deputation, TMC says 'upto state to release them'